Blind For So Long
by Don't Bite Me
Summary: This story takes place after the end of S4. What happens if Gwen and Arthur were never together romantically? Magic Reveal. Eventual Merthur. M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Takes place after the end of S4. Everything is the same except that Arthur and Gwen were never together romantically, so anything directly pertaining to their romantic relationship never happened. Lancelot did sacrifice himself at the beginning of S4 but his soul managed to find its way back to earth and now he and Gwen are together. **

**Isolde never died but did save Arthur's life so he gave her and Tristan a plot of land in one of the outlying villages of Camelot as compensation. **

**Arthur has legalized magic, but is still wary of its use within his kingdom.**

**This story starts on Arthur's birthday.**

"Up you get, sire!" Merlin cried as he threw open the curtains of Arthur's windows.

"_Mer_lin," Arthur groaned as he rolled away from the light streaming through the glass.

"Come on, sire. You've got a big day ahead of you."

"Shouldn't I be able to sleep in on my birthday?"

"Nope," Merlin said from his place at the base of the bed and whipping the covers off the young king in one fell swoop.

"Merlin!" Arthur yelled, curling up into a ball as the warmth of the sheets disappeared.

"Oh come on, you lazy lump. I got your favorite breakfast," Merlin sang playfully.

Arthur glared at him as he rolled out of bed and walked towards the table where Merlin had laid out a magnificent spread.

"How did you get all this up here without waking me?" the king asked his servant, popping a grape into his mouth. "Usually you can't walk five steps without tripping over something."

"You know, most people would just say thank you," Merlin said, stripping Arthur's bed and dumping the sheets in the laundry basket.

"Most people are not the king."

"And therefore have been raised with manners," Merlin muttered to himself as he spread new sheets onto the bed.

A roll hit the back of his head and he looked around at Arthur. "I heard that."

Merlin rolled his eyes as he turned back to the bed. "So are you excited about the entertainment tonight?"

"Considering what happened last year, not so much."

"Have you ever considered perhaps employing a Court Sorcerer. It may be useful to have an expert."

"Merlin, given my father's history with magic, I highly doubt I can trust anyone of magic to be loyal to my court."

"You are not your father, Arthur. And the act of legalization was an important gesture."

"Yes, but if my father taught me anything it was to not rely on anyone else. We were both betrayed by people we trusted deeply."

Merlin pursed his lips, thinking of Morgana and Agravaine.

"Anyway, that's why we're just having a feast and some of our usual court jesters and singers. And the hunt of course," he said with a smile, glancing at Merlin, who winced. "What's wrong, Merlin? You aren't looking forward to it?"

"Of course, sire," Merlin said sarcastically. "Because every time we go hunting, it turns out so well for us."

"You know, it's that kind of attitude that ruins the day."

Merlin rolled his eyes as he left with the laundry basket as the king smiled after him.

* * *

><p>It was just Arthur, Merlin, and his inner circle of knights as they prowled through the woods looking for game. Merlin was tripping over roots and dropping equipment as he followed Arthur while the king tried to hide his smile at his servant's antics.<p>

"Really, Merlin, with the racket you're making, we'll be lucky if we catch anything."

"Why do you bring me along if I do such an inadequate job then?"

"I seem to ask myself that every day."

The truth was, he liked Merlin's company. Merlin kept things interesting. He was the first person to ever stand up to Arthur. Even his inner circle of knights, who he joked and played around with were not as constantly blunt with him as Merlin.

Merlin was also like a kind of security blanket. He knew how insane that sounded. But he liked having Merlin near him. He felt safe with Merlin. It was the most irrational thing in the world given that Arthur was stronger, more coordinated, and certainly superior to Merlin in every way physically. But Merlin kept him grounded, sane, rational. He stopped him from doing something stupid or dangerous in the heat of the moment.

And though his father had always told him never to rely on anyone else, Merlin had always been unwaveringly loyal despite how badly Arthur sometimes treated him.

By the time they were done hours later, they had managed to take down a buck and five fairly large rabbits, and Arthur was satisfied with the success of the hunt, as was Merlin for the simple fact that nothing had attacked them.

* * *

><p>Arthur's party was in full swing two hours after sundown. There was a single long table in the Great Hall, at which Arthur sat at the head. Leon, Lancelot, and Gwen sat down the right side closest to him; Gwaine, Percival, and Elyan down the left. Other distinguished nobles and advisors sat farther down the table, and, of course, Merlin stood three steps diagonally behind him to his right, ready to attend to whatever the king needed.<p>

Arthur was smiling, laughing at a joke Gwaine had just told as Merlin refilled his goblet.

Merlin was so distracted the banter of the knights and his serving duties that he didn't sense the great magical presence outside the heavy double doors at the end of the hall until a moment before they were thrown open.

The king and his knights stood up at once, all drawing their swords as the hall went silent, every eye on the black-hooded and caped newcomer standing in the doorway.

Before anyone could say or do anything. The figure spread its arms in a fluid, sweeping motion, and everyone was thrown back, away from the table. In a split second the figure soared over the table, and landed in front of the king, who had been thrown onto his back.

The figure ripped off its hood and grabbed Arthur by the neck, pulling him to his feet.

"Hello, dear brother," Morgana hissed just before a great column of air whipped up around them.

"ARTHUR!" Merlin cried as the king was swept up away from the hall with his sister.


	2. Chapter 2

"Morgana has greatly weakened the kingdom with her actions. We have no clear leader," Leon said. "Other kingdoms will see it as an opportunity to invade if we do not act quickly."

The party had ended as soon as everyone had gotten their wits about them. The guests had left and Leon had taken charge. Now Arthur's inner circle and advisors were gathered around the long table. Merlin stood off to the side, taking in every word.

"Gwaine and Lancelot will lead patrols to search the woods around the city. Meanwhile the rest of us need to be thinking of other places Morgana could be hiding. We also need to examine our enemies. Who may give Morgana refuge or aid her in her objective, and most importantly what that objective is. Let's get started."

There was a great rush and Merlin saw Gaius beckoning to him. They exited the Great Hall and waited until they were out of earshot of anyone else before they spoke.

"Merlin, Morgana's kidnapping of Arthur was a very public affair," Gaius said as they walked towards his chambers. "She went to great lengths to make sure people saw it happen. Why do you think that is?"

"She wanted people to know it was her."

"Exactly."

"But why? If her purpose was just to create unrest in Camelot and possibly invite invasion, she could have just taken him from his bed, and no one would have known."

"Yes, but I believe that she wants to be found."

"So, what, you're saying she's going to be sitting on a rock in the woods, waiting for Gwaine or Lancelot to find her?" asked Merlin, quirking an eyebrow.

"Not exactly. She will go to great lengths to hide, but only from the knights. I believe that someone of your talents will be able to locate her."

"But Morgana doesn't know what I am," Merlin said with conviction.

"No, but there may be another warlock she is trying to bait."

Merlin paused, thinking for a second. And then it hit him. "Emrys. But why?"

"Merlin, I believe Morgana has had a vision that has caused her to fear Emrys. Certainly the legends about him paint him as a force to be reckoned with, but I believe she may have perceived something you will do to her personally in the future. She may be trying to preempt that by taking the one thing she knows you'll go after."

* * *

><p>Arthur groaned and rolled onto his side. His cheek pressed against cold stone as he opened his eyes. It took him a moment to remember how he'd gotten to this place, which seemed to be a cave. He sat up quickly, wincing as his back screamed in protest from where he had fallen in the Great Hall.<p>

He tried to lift a hand to his head, but found that both his hands were secured to the wall next to him with strong iron changes. He looked around, assessing his surroundings when he saw what seemed to be a shadow move out of the corner of his eye.

"Happy Birthday, Arthur," Morgana said with a false sweetness.

"Morgana," he croaked. "Why have you done this?"

She moved to settle on a rock jutting out of the cave wall several feet from him.

"Don't look so betrayed, Arthur," she admonished. "You've had plenty of time to accept this."

"That doesn't mean I understand it. Morgana, what did I do to make you hate me so?"

"You were always so self-centered, Arthur. This really has nothing to do with you. It's about you occupying the throne of a kingdom that I am the rightful heir of."

"How do you figure?" he asked, sitting up painfully and leaning his back against the wall. "Your claim to the throne is through the same roots as mine. And if you see my claim as illegitimate, then yours can be no more valid."

"It is my destiny to rule over Camelot and remedy what your father did to magic-kind. You and your father hunted my kind for twenty years. Mercilessly. Slaughtered thousands of innocent people simply for having magic. And you know why, Arthur, yet you still continue to defend him."

"What are you talking about?" Arthur asked, thoroughly confused.

"My sister told me before she died about what she showed you. How you were born. Yet you chose to ignore it. You are a hypocrite just like your father. You even tried to use magic to save him." An awful smile twisted around her lips. "But I put a stop to that. I made sure that no spell could save that man."

Arthur didn't say anything. He couldn't let Morgana know how her words had affected him. He remembered his reaction to the information about his birth. How he attacked his father, nearly killed him. How Merlin had stopped him. Had Merlin really believed what he had told him, about it being fake? Or had he been doing what he always did when Arthur got worked up about something: stopped him from doing something he'd regret.

And then he thought about how angry he had been at the warlock who he had believed had a hand in his father's death. And now it turned out that there was nothing the man could have done.

* * *

><p>"I've found it," Merlin cried triumphantly, holding up the book he had been searching. It had been two days since Morgana had taken Arthur, and he had spent most of his time searching through books of spells, attempting to find one to locate his king with.<p>

Gaius leaned over to look at the page Merlin was pointing at.

"All I need is a map of the area I want to search and something of the person I want to search for." He frowned. "Gaius, this seems so simple. There must be a catch."

Gaius flipped to the next page. "Hmm, this spell does seem simple, but according to this, it will not work where any protective wards have been put up. But I do not think it will matter in this situation. If I am right, Morgana will be hiding, but she will not have erected any magic- repelling wards. If she wants Emrys to find her, she will need to leave herself and Arthur open to magical detection."

"Excellent. You get the map, I'll go find something of Arthur's."

* * *

><p>"So are there troops storming Camelot now?" Arthur deadpanned. "Perhaps being led by someone else I trusted who has betrayed me?"<p>

"I'm sure there is plenty of unrest coming from the inside or the outside of Camelot at the moment. But that is not my concern right now."

"If you're not planning to take over Camelot in my absence, then why am I here?" he asked.

"You, my dear brother, are being used as bait."

"What, are you going to ransom me?"

"Ransom would imply I intend to let you live after I have accomplished my goal."

* * *

><p>"Arthur is beyond the Mountains of Isgard just over the boarder of Odin's kingdom."<p>

"That's a day's ride, Merlin. I suggest you move quickly," Gaius said, a strange look on his face.

"What are you not telling me, Gaius?" Merlin asked warily.

"Morgana may not be concerned with taking Camelot at the moment, but others are. There is no clear leadership structure left as to who is to take over if Arthur is not here. He has no wife, no children, no relatives left. It is likely that there will be some from the outside, and perhaps the inside as well, who will make bids for the throne. If Arthur does not return soon, Camelot may find itself facing invasion."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Not a particularly long or eventful chapter, sorry.**

Arthur leaned his head up against the wall he had been chained to for God knows how many hours. Morgana had not left him for a moment, and he had no hope of escaping until she was gone. He didn't know how long he had been there. The cave seemed completely isolated, no sun filtering in to tell him what time of day or night it was. The only light came from a several candles Morgana had lit. He didn't even know where they were. If they were still in Camelot, or in hostile territory. His only hope was for Merlin to find him. Merlin always found him.

"I'm sorry," he said into the darkness where he knew Morgana sat.

"For what?"

"For what our father did to your people."

"Your father," she sneered.

"He was yours too, Morgana. Not just in blood, but in spirit. The man you thought of as your father died when you were very young. Uther was for all intents and purposes, your father. He loved you. Even though he couldn't admit you were his daughter, it doesn't mean he loved you any less. You never saw how your betrayal affected him."

"He was nothing more than a tyrant. He loved nothing but himself and his power. He would have thrown me in the dungeons if he knew what I was."

"And you're just like him. Murdering innocents to try and even the score."

"How dare you!" Morgana cried, taking three strides across the room and slapping him straight across the face.

He lifted his head, spitting blood on the ground at her feet, a sudden idea coming into his head.

"The truth is, Morgana, you cannot tolerate the fact that his kingdom still stands. That nothing, not even his death could bring magic back into power. Your reign was in terror, just as his was. You just used magic instead of the sword. And your only supporters were enemies of the kingdom and mercenaries. You have lowered yourself to consorting with thieves and murderers. They don't care about magic acceptance or dominance. They just want the power. And even with all your magical power, I still defeated you. Twice. You have all the gifts of the old religion and I'm just an idiot with a sword, but I'm king, and you live in cave, Morgana."

"Shut up!" she growled, lifting him off his feet and slamming him into the stone wall of the cave behind him.

"It didn't have to be like this," Arthur continued, egging her on. "But you made it this way. And now not even the people of magic, the people you claimed to fight for, are standing by you. Because they see what the rest of us see, a tyrant."

"I said, shut up!" she cried, slamming him into the wall again, cracking it more and dislodging one of the anchors that held the chains connected to his cuffs. But she didn't seem to notice as he spoke again.

"Tell me, Morgana, did they come rushing to your aid when you took power, or did they refuse to bow to you just like my knights did? You will never have the loyalty of the people, magical or otherwise. You will _never_ be the true leader of Camelot."

"Shut up!" she screamed. And with her final blow, both his wrists came free and he swung the anchor like a flail, hitting her square in the head, knocking her to the ground. He found the keys for the cuffs in the pocket of her cloak, freed himself and grabbed his sword from the other side of the cave, lighting a torch on one of the candles before exiting down a dark passageway that he hoped would lead outside.

He had only gone a few steps when a chilling gust of winds swept behind him, extinguishing his torch. "You really are just a sword-wielding idiot, Arthur Pendragon," Morgana's cold voice called to him through the dark, "if you think your petty weapons could defeat me." An orange light flared up around her and Arthur got a split second's view of her holding a ball of fire before he was yet again, thrown against the wall. He crumpled into a heap at the bottom, knocked out.

When Arthur awoke, he was chained to the wall again, this time by both his hands and feet. He groaned as he lifted his head. As he sat up slowly and felt the back of his head, he found what seemed to be blood matted in the hair there.

Morgana was smiling evilly in his direction.

"You talk in your sleep, _my lord_."

Arthur paled visibly. He had been dreaming about Merlin. Although he would never admit it, he dreamed of his friend frequently. He constantly told himself that it was only because he spent all his time with him, but lately he had been having dreams that people didn't usually have about their friends. This dream had not been one of those though. In this dream, Merlin had been shrouded in what seemed like shadow. No matter how much Arthur had tried, he had been unable to reveal Merlin under the shadow. And then Merlin had turned and left him, disappearing into the darkness, ignoring Arthur's calls to him.

"You know, Arthur, I always wondered if there was something between you and Gwen. Turns out I was focusing on the wrong servant."

* * *

><p>Merlin rode out as soon as he had mapped Arthur's location and packed a few supplies. It was a day's ride to the forest and he did not reach it until well after nightfall. It would be too dangerous to maneuver the horse through the trees at a speed that would make any difference, so Merlin tied it to a tree and cast an invisibility spell over it so it wouldn't be stolen.<p>

As he started through the forest, he incanted a ball of blue light that only he could see as he started his search for Arthur. He could feel a faint magical presence miles away. It must have been some strong magic to allow him to feel it so far away, and he was sure it was Morgana. Merlin started to move toward the source of the magic, and was about an hour in when he heard voices.

He hid behind a tree as the voices grew louder. They seemed to be moving towards him. As they passed he saw Odin's flag cast in the light of the torches they were carrying. Gaius' fears had been confirmed; Odin was moving towards Camelot.

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Reviews are much appreciated. **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: The idea for this chapter was given to me in a review by xXMistressMadHatterXx. I liked it, so I decided to use it. Hope you like the chapter. If you have any ideas for things you want to see happen in the future, submit them in a review or PM me. I'd be happy to consider them.**

_Arthur always tried to make time to train with the knights every morning. It was something he knew Merlin hated because it required him to sit out in the blazing sun, sharpening swords and polishing armor. _

_It was also Merlin's job to fetch a bucket of water from the well in order to keep the knights hydrated. When they weren't sparring, they would go over to Merlin for water. Most of the knights would just lift the ladle out of the bucket and drink for themselves, but for those that were closer to Merlin, especially Lance and Gwaine, he would raise the ladle to their lips for them, smiling sweetly as they took a grateful drink. He always wished Merlin would look at him like that and feed him water, but his manservant always made the young king get his own water, rolling his eyes at Arthur's jokingly-framed but really serious requests that Merlin give him the same treatment as the others. _

_This particular morning, though, when Arthur approached Merlin and the water bucket, Merlin lifted the ladle to Arthur's lips without a word and tipped it slightly, enabling Arthur to drink. Arthur momentarily forgot how to drink as Merlin gazed up at him through his eyelashes, smiling slightly, giving Arthur a look that was both sensual and innocent at the same time. Arthur forgot to swallow and the water spurted out of his mouth and down his chin as he smiled back._

_Merlin laughed a little and brought a spare rag to Arthur's mouth and chin, wiping off the water, lingering on the curve of Arthur's lips and the sharp cut of his jaw. Arthur himself was staring in a very non-subtle way at Merlin's beautiful face, thinking of how much he'd love to feel those carnation-pink lips against his own. _

"_There you go, sire," Merlin said, breaking Arthur out of his trance. _

"Thank you, Merlin," Arthur murmured in his sleep as Morgana sat several feet from him, watching the dream she implanted play out in his mind. She only controlled the situation he saw, but his actions were his own.

_It was later that day that a king from a neighboring kingdom was visiting and there was, of course, a feast in his honor. Arthur and the king were sitting at the head table while Merlin and the other servants fluttered around the room, serving the knights and nobles of both kingdoms. _

_Arthur was listening only vaguely to the incredibly boring monologue the king was going off on, instead watching Merlin serve the visiting knights. Though he never realized it, he got a lot more leers than the other servants. Merlin was more desirable than he thought. And that drove Arthur mad. Not just because every time Merlin leaned over him to refill his drink, he wanted nothing more than to pull him onto his lap and kiss him, but also because every time he did the same thing to one the visiting knights, they looked like they wanted to bend him over the table and fuck him. _

_Arthur watched as one of the visiting knights beckoned Merlin over, pulling him down to whisper in his ear. He watched as the knight's hand moved from where it rested on Merlin's shoulder, down his back and over the curve of his sweet ass. Merlin blushed heavily and jumped away, shaking his head and saying something inaudible from where Arthur was on the other side of the room. _

_Arthur was fuming. He found his body standing up of his own accord while he tried to keep the rage off his face. _

"_I think I will retire for the night," he announced. He bid the visiting king good night as politely as possible and then looked to the table where the visiting knight was still trying to engage Merlin, holding his wrist in a vice-like grip. _

"_Merlin!" he shouted._

_Merlin jumped and spun around, tearing his wrist out of the knight's grasp as he hurried over to the king._

_They exited the hall together and Arthur waited until they were safely in his chambers before rounding on his servant. _

"_What the hell was that?" he asked angrily and Merlin took a step back._

"_What was what sire?"_

"_You were letting those knights paw at you like a common whore."_

_A flash of hurt crossed his servant's face, quickly replaced by anger. "What I do in my personal life is none of your business _sire_. And why should it matter to you who I sleep with?"_

"_So you're saying you would sleep with them?"_

"_I'm saying it's none of your business. And for your information, they were the ones coming on to me, not the other way around. I don't hit on people at feasts, unlike _some_ of us."_

_Arthur scrubbed his hand down his face. He couldn't believe he'd just attacked Merlin like that. Of course he wasn't the one to initiate it. He'd never seen Merlin initiate anything with anyone. Despite his bumbling idiocy, he could be adorably innocent at times. In fact, Arthur would have bet most of his worldly possessions that Merlin had never slept with anyone, male or female._

_He sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, Merlin. You're right. It is none of my business."_

_He wished it were though. He wished he and Merlin were in the kind of relationship where it was his business who was coming onto Merlin and vise versa. Where had that thought come from? Since when was he romantically interested in _Merlin_?_

"_You are dismissed for the rest of the night," Arthur told his manservant._

"_Are you sure sire?"_

"_Yes." Arthur needed to think about some things. And those things would not be made easier with Merlin undressing him. _

_He had just settled down into bed when there was a frantic knock on the door. _

"_Enter!" he called._

_A servant rushed in. _

"_Sire," he said, slightly out of breath. He must have run here. "Something's happened, your presence is required in the throne room."_

_Arthur was out of bed in a second, pulling on pants, shirt, jacket and shoes as he made his way down to the throne room.  
><em>

_When he threw open the double doors, he was greeted with the sight of his knights, Leon, Percival, Elyan, and Lancelot along with Gaius and some other advisers, the visiting king and several of his knights. _

"_What's going on here?" he asked._

"_It seems there has been a conflict," said the other king. "One of your servants has accused my knight of assaulting him."_

"_Which servant?"_

_Arthur's knights parted and he saw a shuddering Merlin being held by Gwaine, both of whom he had missed on his initial observation of the room. Gwaine was petting Merlin's head where it rested on his shoulder, a comforting arm around his waist. _

"_What happened, Merlin?" he asked gently as he approached the shaking boy. _

"_I—I was walking back to my chambers when an arm pulled me into one of the rooms. He . . . he closed the door and slammed me up against it. He was touching me and then . . . he asked me to . . . _service_ him." Arthur caught the double meaning in Merlin's words. "When I refused, he said I could either do it willingly, or he would make me. I managed to knee him in the groin and run away, and that's when I ran into Gwaine."_

_Arthur attempted to keep his face impartial as he turned on the knight standing next to the visiting king. It was the same one who had been touching Merlin at the feast._

"_Is this true?" he asked._

_The knight had a smug smile on his face. "The boy is lying, my lord. He entered my chambers and offered himself to me. I refused and he went ballistic."_

"_Do you expect me to believe that?" Arthur asked the knight. "What reason would he have for falsely accusing you?"_

"_The dirty little fag was probably just upset that I turned him down. But I don't do servants or men."_

_It took all of Arthur's self control not to hit the man for his insult to Merlin, and he knew by the way Gwaine growled behind him that if he had not been holding the boy, he might have made a lunge for the knight as well._

"_I trust my servant, and if he said that's what happened, then I believe him."_

_The visiting king looked aghast. "You'd take the word of a servant over that of a knight?"_

"_Nobility is defined by what you do, not by who you are," Arthur said coolly, repeating the words Gwaine had spat at his father so many years ago. "Merlin has earned my trust, and I see no reason for him to lie about this." He turned to the knight. "You are hereby banished from Camelot. I never want to see your face here again, and if I do, you will find yourself on the sharp end of my sword, is that understood? I do not allow anyone, noble or otherwise to assault _my_ servants or citizens. You have one hour to leave the city. Percival, Lancelot, please escort this man to his chambers so we can ensure no more indiscretions."_

_Percival and Lancelot left with he offending knight and Arthur turned back to the visiting king. "I will not fault you or any of your other knights for the mistakes of one. You are welcome to stay for the rest of your planned visit. But I will not have my citizens being assaulted by anyone. I do not practice unearned favoritism in my kingdom. If you choose to stay, I bid you goodnight, and I will see you at breakfast tomorrow morning. If not, I bid you farewell, and assure you that I hold no grudge against you or your kingdom."_

_He turned back to where Gwaine was still holding Merlin, and beckoned to his manservant. "Come," he said to the boy, and Merlin let go of Gwaine and followed him out of the room._

_They again waited until they were safely in Arthur's chambers before speaking._

"_Thank you, Arthur," Merlin said quietly._

_He was still shaking, and Arthur couldn't help himself. He took two steps towards Merlin and gathered him into his arms much the same way Gwaine had done. _

"_It's okay, Merlin," he whispered, soothing the boy as he cried. "I will never let anything hurt you again."_

"I love you, Merlin," Arthur whispered in his magically induced sleep. Morgana's lips lifted into a cruel smile.

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Reviews are appreciated. **


	5. Chapter 5

As Merlin felt Morgana's magical presence growing stronger, he retrieved the vial of potion that would transform him into his eighty-year-old alter ego. It was another half mile before he reached the cave where he could feel Morgana's presence was the strongest. He pulled the hood of his black cloak over his white-haired and bearded head and entered.

It felt like an hour as he followed the presence of Morgana's magic through the caves, his blue sphere of light allowing him to see his way along the tunnels. Not only could he feel Morgana's magic signature growing stronger, he could also feel Arthur. He had always seemed to be able find Arthur wherever he was in the castle at Camelot; it seemed to be some kind of weird connection he had with the king.

A minute later he rounded the corner of the chamber where Arthur and Morgana resided. He extinguished his ball of light as he stepped into the cave. Morgana had her back to him and sat on a rock, facing Arthur, who was chained to the wall behind him. Merlin felt his heart constrict as he saw his king's crumpled form, sporting a split lip and a black eye.

"I've been waiting for you, Emrys," Morgana said, still not turning around.

Merlin said nothing.

"I knew the only way to get you here would be to take my dear brother. I know you've had a hand in his defeat of me, without which he surely would not have succeeded." She paused, standing up and slowly turning to face the hooded figure in front of her. "What I fail to understand is why. Why you, who is fabled to be the most powerful warlock in existence would help the son of a tyrant who spent the better part of his reign wiping out your kind rather than standing with me, to bring magic back Albion."

"I pity you, Morgana Pendragon," Merlin said, making his voice raspy in order to sound the eighty years he looked under his cloak. "Because though you may have started out that way, magical acceptance is no longer what you seek. You were used as a pawn by your sister and other rulers who sought nothing more than to get back at your father for his actions and to take his kingdom. And now you are alone, with no one loyal to you and no one to be loyal to. And I feel sorry for you."

Her face grew increasingly angrier as he spoke and she shot a silver dash of light at him, almost like a dagger but it was magic rather than corporeal, which he easily raised his hand to deflect. It hit the wall and caused a portion of the rock to become dislodged. "How dare you insult my sister!"

"Your sister wanted nothing more than power, Morgana. And she used you for it just like she used Cenred."

More daggers of light flew towards Merlin, who deflected each one, breaking off other sections of rock each time.

"I have seen what you will do, Emrys!" Morgana said angrily. "And I will stop you. I will not allow you to come in the way of my destiny!"

"Your destiny?" Merlin scoffed. "What do you think your destiny is, Morgana? To rule over Camelot? You see the future; so you tell me, what do you see as your destiny? Does it include you on the throne? Or have you perhaps seen your defeat? Why else would you be scrambling to change what you cannot?"

"You're wrong! I will be queen!"

"There is no right or wrong," Merlin said as he deflected another spell, repeating the words Kilgharrah had said to him so many years ago, "only what is and what isn't. You cannot change your destiny. You can only accept it."

And with that, he thrust his hand forward, throwing Morgana back against the opposite wall of the cave several feet from where Arthur was chained.

Merlin hurried over to his king, releasing his bonds with magic and pulling him up. "We have to get out of here," he said hurriedly.

Arthur scrambled to his feet, grabbing his sword and the torch, unable to see his savior's face under the black hood as he followed him out of the chamber.

They had made it halfway down the tunnel leading away from the cave when Arthur put a hand on Merlin's shoulder, stopping him. "Wait." He put a finger over his lips, and turned around, listening behind them.

A moment later a bright orange light filled the tunnel followed by a stream of fire.

Merlin shoved Arthur behind him, thrusting out his hand and crying, "Scutum a ignis!" causing the fire to hit the invisible shield he conjured.

The fire kept rushing at them and Merlin could feel Arthur breathing heavily behind him. He knew the position Arthur would be in, slightly crouched, sword out, ready to strike but probably feeling fairly useless, as his sword was no good against the fire.

Merlin summoned all of his strength in an effort to push to shield further down the tunnel. He felt his heart in his throat as he thrust the fire back in Morgana's direction. He would not allow the fire near Arthur, his friend, his destiny. He would do whatever he needed to protect him, even if that meant killing Morgana.

The fire finally stopped, and as it did, Morgana came into view, shrieking in frustration as she saw them both standing there.

"I will not stop until I destroy you, Emrys," she growled.

"Well then you have your work cut out for you, don't you? But until then, petram casus!" he yelled, causing the rocks from the roof of the cave to rain down between him and Morgana. He cast a sealing spell on the rocks so she could not follow them and whirled around to face Arthur again.

"Let's go," he said, and he and Arthur hurried through the tunnels and out into what was now twilight.

When they had run far enough from the cave, Arthur stopped and turned back to the black cloaked and hooded figure.

"Thank you," he said, putting his hands on his knees and panting.

Merlin was also out of breath as he gulped in fresh air, relieved at his success.

"Who are you?" Arthur asked.

Although Merlin knew Arthur had conflicted feelings about his alter ego given what had happened with his father, maybe knowing he had saved his life would help Arthur be more progressive towards magical acceptance.

He took a deep breath and lowered his hood, looking his king in the eye.

Arthur's jaw dropped, his eyes bugged out of his head, and his mouth opened and closed as if trying and failing to find the proper words to express his surprise.

"Merlin," Arthur finally gasped.

Merlin started, his fingers coming to his face. There was no beard. He looked at his hands, and found them smooth and young rather than wrinkled and liver-spotted. Somehow the aging potion had worn off.

**A/N: Reviews are appreciated!**


	6. Chapter 6

"This isn't possible," Arthur said, turning away from Merlin and running his hand through his hair. "I'm dreaming. I must be dreaming." He slapped his jaw a few times then turned back to Merlin, who still stood there, awash in fear, wondering what the king was thinking.

"I'm not dreaming."

"No, you're not."

"How is . . . How can you . . . You're a sorcerer?"

"Yes."

"A powerful one?"

"Yes."

"But you sill clean my boots?"

"Yes, Arthur," Merlin sighed.

"Why?"

"Because it is my destiny to protect you, Arthur. To help you reunite the land of Albion and create harmony between magic and non-magic people."

It couldn't be, Arthur thought. Merlin was an idiot. Sometimes wise, extremely loveable, but still an idiot. And he was the one the druids talked about? Arthur had heard some of the legends of Emrys, the most powerful sorcerer to ever walk the earth and that man was none other than his stumbling, babbling, big-eared manservant.

"You lied to me," Arthur said.

"No I didn't. You never asked me if I had magic."

"You lied by omission."

"When I met you magic was illegal, Uther would have had me burned at the stake!"

"You think I would have told my father?" the king asked, sounding hurt.

"I didn't want to put you in that position, Arthur," Merlin said. "Besides, if he ever had found out and you knew about it, it would have been both our arses on the line."

"I have to wrap my head around this," Arthur said, sinking onto a fallen tree.

"You don't have time for that right now, Arthur."

"Why not."

"You've been missing for three days now. We're in Odin's kingdom. Before I entered the cave I saw them passing through these woods. They're heading for Camelot."

Arthur was on his feet in seconds. "How far are we?"

"Two days on foot unless we can find another horse. Odin will probably be there by now; it's almost night."

* * *

><p>Darkness had just fallen in Camelot when the sounds of horses trotting on flagstones reached Sir Leon's ears where he stood in the Council Chambers with the knights and advisors. He looked out the window and felt his chest constrict with fear.<p>

"Who is that?" Gwaine asked from beside him.

"That's King Odin. His lands are south of Camelot. He must have heard what happened."

Leon turned back to the rest of the room.

"Listen. No one is to know what has happened, that we do not know Arthur's whereabouts. We must dismiss this as a rumor. Arthur has simply taken a hunting trip for his birthday and will be back within the week. Is that understood? Spread the word. No one is to talk to Odin or any of his people about the king's true whereabouts."

"Sir Leon," said one of Arthur's advisors. "We cannot keep this story up forever. Odin has no doubt heard the rumor, and if the king is not back within the week . . ."

"I know," Leon said. "But it's the best we can do at the moment. Gwen," he said, turning to where she stood beside Lancelot, "please alert the kitchens and the servants. Have them prepare rooms and a feast for Odin and his men."

She nodded and left.

"I will need the knights to accompany me in greeting our royal guest."

* * *

><p>"How is it," Arthur asked as he and Merlin traipsed through the forest the following morning, "that in the six years I've known you, you've managed to hide the fact that you are a sorcerer?"<p>

"Perhaps you're not as observant as you think," Merlin said, thinking of all the times he'd used magic right in front of Arthur and he'd been none the wiser.

"So I take it that you've used it in my presence then."

"Yes."

"A lot?"

"Yes."

"When was the first time?" Arthur asked, stopping to rest.

Merlin thought. "When we fought. In the market. You kept tripping over things and getting your flail stuck. It was all magic."

"I knew you must have cheated," Arthur said.

"Yes, because we were so evenly matched in the first place," Merlin said sarcastically.

It took them hours to reach the edge of the woods where Merlin found the horse he had hidden, exactly where he'd left it.

"We'll have to ride to the nearest village and see if we can find another," he said. "This one won't be able to go as fast with both of us riding."

"Are you calling me fat again, Merlin?" Arthur asked indignantly.

"Only indirectly," Merlin said, mounting the horse.

Arthur rolled his eyes and got on behind him, wrapping his arms around his manservant's waist as Merlin spurred the horse into action.

They had been riding for about an hour and Arthur was praying they came across a village soon. He didn't know how much longer he could take being this close to Merlin. His scent was assaulting the young king, a combination of sage and lavender, and driving him insane. Not only that, but the warlock's body, while as thin and gangly as ever, was firm, and Arthur could feel every muscle ripple underneath his touch as they rode.

_Thank God for chainmail, _Arthur thought, knowing it was the only thing keeping Merlin from feeling the rather painful erection he was sporting. Why though? This wasn't the first time Arthur had been aroused in Merlin's presence. Did that mean that he was attracted to Merlin the way he was supposed to be attracted to a girl?

Despite the fact that he constantly tormented Merlin, he hated being away from him and actually enjoyed his servant's clumsy antics. He thought about the dream he'd had in the cave with Morgana. It had seemed so real. Merlin's actions, his reactions, his emotions when he learned what that knight had tried to do to him, the jealousy he now realized he'd felt when he saw Gwaine holding Merlin that way, not wanting anyone else to ever touch his manservant in that tender manner besides himself. And at the very end, his admission to Merlin. He was eternally grateful that it was a dream and that no one had seen it. If it got out that he was in love with his manservant.

_In love with his manservant,_ he finally admitted to himself. He was in love with Merlin.

After about another mile, they reached a village, where Arthur managed to steal a horse. Though he was disappointed to have to let go of Merlin, he knew it was better this way. Another couple of hours like that and he might have found himself doing something he'd regret.

They only had a few more hours of daylight and knew they needed to move quickly if they wanted to get back to Camelot before nightfall. They spurred the horses to go as fast as possible, only breaking for rest when it was absolutely necessary. They were still few hours from Camelot when night fell.

"We're going to have to make camp," Arthur said, slowing his horse down.

"We're almost there though."

"Well, unless you can see in the dark, Merlin, we're not going to be able to navigate through these woods."

Merlin smiled and held out his hand, muttering something that Arthur could not understand. Suddenly, a blue ball of light materialized in his hand, floating ahead of them, lighting the way ahead.

"We're the only ones who can see it," Merlin said.

Arthur smiled and followed Merlin as they continued through the forest. It wasn't another hour before they heard voices and saw firelight in the distance. They dismounted and crept closer until the intruders were within sight.

"Odin's men," Merlin whispered so only Arthur could hear. Merlin cast a silencing spell on them and the horses so they wouldn't make any noise as they gave the camp a wide berth on their way back to Camelot. After they had successfully passed the camp, they remounted their horses and set off quickly towards the city.

They tied the horses in the lower town and crept in through the siege tunnels back up through the castle. They passed the back entrance to the Great Hall and heard voices talking and shouting raucously.

"Merlin, fetch one of the knights and bring him up to my chambers. We need to know what's going on here."

As Arthur disappeared down the corridor towards his chambers, Merlin took a deep breath and thought hard at Lancelot, trying to channel his voice into Lance's head.

_Lance, it's Merlin. Come up to Arthur's chambers as soon as you can._

Fifteen minutes later, they were all in the king's chambers.

"My lord, what happened to you?" Lance asked.

"I'm fine, just a few bruises. Why is Odin here?"

"He arrived last night, sire, claiming he was just visiting, but I'm sure he heard about Morgana."

"What did you tell him?"

"Leon put out the story that you were on a hunt. We've tried to distract him but he keeps asking questions about when you'll be back."

"Very well then," Arthur said. "Thank you Lancelot. I will be down soon. Please do not tell anyone you've seen me."

**A/N: Please Review!**


	7. Chapter 7

King Odin was happily drunk near midnight, looking down one of the serving girl's dresses as she poured him more wine. He was just about to suggest that she visit him later in his chambers when the double doors burst open and King Arthur strolled in accompanied by the manservant who, Odin had noticed, never seemed to leave his side.

"Odin!" he called across the Great Hall. "How nice of you to join us."

"Arthur!" Odin boomed, his drunk self having a hard time processing the exact situation. "You're here?"

"Yes, Odin, this is _my_ castle."

"Your knights said you wouldn't be back until the end of the week."

"Yes, well had I know you were coming I would not have left. I'm sorry I was unable to greet you in person, but I hope my people were accommodating."

"They were very hospitable." Odin hiccupped a little. "What made you come back early?"

"Something was scaring off the game in the forest, making it almost impossible to find anything. Can you imagine what that might have been?"

Odin shook his head.

"It was your troops, Odin. I'd say, at least two hundred. Tell me, do you usually bring so many soldiers with you when you make impromptu visits to neighboring kingdoms?"

"Well, sire . . ."

"Or perhaps you heard the rumor that I had been forcibly taken from my kingdom."

"Sire, I . . ."

"I'd advise you in the future not to listen to such gossip, Odin. I guarantee you that there has never and will never be anything that will remove me from my duty to my kingdom and people without my consent. Now, while I welcome you and your party to extend your visit for the rest of the week, I must insist that you send your troops back or I will remove them forcibly. If you are still here tomorrow night, I will gladly dine with you. Unfortunately I have much work to do before then given my absence for the past few days, so I bid you goodnight."

And with that, Arthur turned on his heel and walked out of the Great Hall, Merlin close on his heels.

Merlin thanked God that his shirt was long as his arousal was very prominent in his trousers. Arthur being authoritative always turned him on.

Despite how Arthur tortured him regularly, Merlin had always harbored a small crush on the royal. What had started small had grown exponentially in the past few years as Arthur's good side had started to show through his usual prattishness.

They returned to the King's chambers where Merlin undressed the King. Merlin had healed the bruises on his face so as not to make Odin suspicious when he strolled into the Great Hall, but they had not had time for the rest of the injuries on his body, and Merlin tried his best not to wince as he saw the damage done to his King's back.

"I'll go get you water for a bath," Merlin said quietly, making to leave.

"Merlin," Arthur called to him before he could open the door.

The warlock turned back to look at his King.

"I would not mind if you used your _abilities_ in this case. It is legal after all."

Merlin studied the King's face carefully. Arthur's expression was accepting. It was his way of telling Merlin that he didn't hold his magic against him.

The warlock let a small smile grace his lips as he went to haul out the giant wooden tub that Arthur bathed in. He closed his eyes and whispered a few words, holding out his hand towards the tub and watched it fill with warm water.

Arthur stepped in, hissing with pleasure as he sank into the water and felt it soothing his bruises.

"I can take care of those as well, sire," Merlin said quietly as he began to wash Arthur.

"You don't have to . . ."

"I want to, Arthur."

"I'd appreciate it."

Merlin placed his hand on Arthur's back and murmured a few words.

Arthur let out a sigh of contentment as a warmth pulsed through him, healing his wounds. "Merlin," he groaned contentedly. He didn't realize he had done it until it was already out.

"Arthur," Merlin said tentatively.

"Yes?" Arthur attempted to sound nonchalant.

"Did something happen in the cave. You seem . . . different."

"Well Merlin I would imagine I would feel different after being held for three days by my now evil half-sister who has not once but twice taken over my kingdom and was only defeated I now find out, with the help of the manservant who could previously not even accomplish simple tasks but now I find is apparently rumored to be the most powerful warlock in existence. So yes, I would posture that I am _different_."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you before," Merlin whispered.

Arthur was silent for a while before responding.

"I don't blame you," he said. "I'm sorry that you didn't trust me enough to tell me, but I understand why you didn't." He twisted around to look at his manservant. "And I'm grateful you never tried to test my loyalty to my father. Even though I don't agree with his views on magic, I don't know how much I would have been able to protect you if it ever got out."

Arthur found his hand lifting up involuntarily to caress Merlin's cheek. The warlock's skin was creamy, flawless and soft under his touch.

Merlin froze at the King's gesture, unsure of what to do. Arthur was gazing up at him with something akin to reverence and Merlin wanted more than anything to lean down and kiss him.

Neither of them knew who moved first but a second later, their lips were joined and moving against each other's.

A soft moan from Arthur pulled Merlin out of his state of bliss and he jerked his mouth quickly from the King's, looking shocked. He staggered backwards a few paces and before he knew what was happening, his legs were carrying him as fast as possible out of Arthur's chambers and down the corridor.

**A/N: Thoughts? Please Review.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Pathetically short chapter. Sorry. Hope you enjoy.**

"Merlin, what happened?" Gaius asked as Merlin ran past him into his room, slamming the door behind him.

The old man raised an eyebrow at his ward's behavior but decided it was best not to bother him.

Merlin did not come out of his room until the next morning and Gaius could not help but notice that his eyes were red from crying.

"Merlin, is everything alright?" Gaius asked carefully.

"I'm fine," Merlin muttered, accepting the breakfast Gaius handed him with a soft "thanks."

In truth, he was not fine. Far from it. The feelings that had been building up in him for Arthur over the past couple of years had always been pressing on him, but he had managed to keep them at bay. But last night . . . that had all gone to shit. He had kissed Arthur. Or Arthur had kissed him. At some point they were both participating in the kiss no matter who had initiated it. How could this happen? Arthur couldn't be attracted to him. First of all, he was Arthur's servant, who he routinely teased and tortured for his own amusement. And secondly, and most importantly, Arthur like girls. He had seen him chase countless girls. He had even been serious about marrying one once.

Merlin gritted his teeth thinking of _Mithian_, he had hated her. There was nothing inherently wrong with her. She was a lovely woman and perfect for Arthur. But that was exactly the problem: she was perfect for Arthur. Arthur had never told him why he decided not to marry her.

Merlin finished his breakfast and thanked Gaius again before leaving to go get the king up.

When Merlin entered Arthur's room, he was fast asleep, shirtless, as usual, with one arm thrown over his head, allowing Merlin to admire the beautiful definition of his muscles. He set Arthur's breakfast down on the table and looked around. The tub from last night was gone. Arthur must have had a servant come up to empty it and put it away after he had run off.

Merlin walked over to the window and threw open Arthur's curtains as usual. "Time to get up, sire!" he said as jovially as he could manage.

Arthur groaned and rolled away from the light. "Merlin." He froze.

Merlin.

Merlin who he had kissed last night.

Merlin who had run away after said kiss.

Arthur was wide awake in seconds. He eyed his manservant who was currently rummaging through his hutch.

"Merlin," he said slowly, sitting up.

"Yes, sire?" Merlin said, not turning around.

"About last night . . ."

Merlin turned around, Arthur's clothes for the day in his arms. His favorite red shirt and a pair of pants. "What about it, sire?"

"We need to talk about what happened."

"It's okay, sire, I understand," Merlin said, turning to lay his clothes out on the bed.

"You do?" Arthur asked. How could Merlin know his feelings for him?

"It was a mistake. I promise I won't mention it."

"Merlin—" Arthur started to protest.

"Come eat your breakfast before it gets cold, sire. You've got training scheduled in half an hour."

Arthur was in a bad mood as he trained the knights, Leon noticed. He had nearly beaten Gwaine into the ground for no apparent reason. Though Arthur was never a morning person and was often in a foul mood this early, Leon had never seen him this angry, and knew it could not be reasonless.

Between breaks, Gwaine went over to the water bucket where Merlin wordlessly lifted the ladle to Gwaine's lips, not seeming to notice as he spilled a little down the knight's front.

"Oi!" Gwaine exclaimed, pulling Merlin out of his trance. "What's up with you today? You look out of it."

Merlin sighed and shook his head. "It's nothing," he lied. "Just tired."

From across the field Arthur gritted his teeth at the display. How dare Gwaine flirt with his servant, he thought irrationally. Merlin could only ever be his, in every way, never anyone else's.

"This session is over!" he declared loudly, turning on his heel and leaving the training field. "MERLIN!"

Merlin gave a hasty goodbye to Gwaine and scurried off after Arthur.

They got all the way up to the king's chambers before Arthur spoke.

"You are my manservant, Merlin," he said. "Do you know what that means?"

Merlin said nothing, knowing it was a rhetorical question and worried, never having seen Arthur this angry without knowing the reason.

"It means you are _mine_," he growled, stalking towards Merlin. "You serve _me_ and me only. Is that understood?"

"Arthur what—" Merlin started, but he never got to finish because Arthur slammed him into the door and covered his mouth with his.

Merlin was shocked for a few seconds before he responded, kissing him back, trying to make the most of this experience before Arthur came to his senses.

They didn't break apart until they were both short on air.

Arthur gazed into Merlin's impossibly blue eyes. "Last night wasn't a mistake."

Merlin felt his heart swell.

"It couldn't be a mistake, because it's the only thing I've wanted to do for a while now."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Sorry it took so long to update. Not the most exciting chapter, but I hope you enjoy.**

"Arthur, we can't do this," Merlin whispered as they broke apart.

"I'm the king, Merlin. I can do whatever I want," Arthur said.

"Yes, and I'm a servant not to mention a man and a sorcerer. Your father would be spinning in his grave if he knew about this."

"You think I don't know that!" Arthur growled, pushing away from the door and raking his hands through his hair. "You think I haven't been thinking about that nonstop since I figured this out!" He gestured between them. "Merlin, I don't know what this is, but I've never felt this way with anyone. Not even—"

Merlin's brow furrowed. "Mithian."

"Yeah." Arthur paused. "It's just always been so easy with you. And I don't want to feel this way but—" He stopped at the look on Merlin's face.

"You don't want to feel this way?"

"I didn't mean it like that."

"I know what you meant, Arthur," Merlin said angrily. "If you don't want to feel this way about me then don't, no one's forcing you." And with that, he spun on his heel and left the king's chambers.

Arthur punched the solid stone of the wall beside the door Merlin had just slammed in anger, instantly regretting his decision as the rough edges of the stone instantly tore up his knuckles. _I'd better have Gaius look at it or I won't be able to hold a sword for a week_, Arthur thought as he started towards the physician's chambers, hoping against hope that Merlin hadn't gone back to his room.

When the king arrived at Gaius' chamber's, Merlin's door was shut. Arthur didn't know whether he was in there or not, but his throbbing hand momentarily took his mind off his manservant.

"What have you done to yourself, sire?" Gaius asked, looking up from the book he was reading and observing Arthur's bleeding knuckles.

"I punched a wall," Arthur muttered.

Gaius raised an eyebrow but said no more on the subject as he cleaned and bandaged Arthur's wound, for which he was grateful.

"Could this have anything to do with you?" Gaius asked as Merlin's door creaked open once the king had left.

Merlin shook his head sullenly and closed his door again, wanting to be alone so he could wallow in his misery in peace. Arthur didn't want to have feelings for him. He wanted to have feelings for some princess or noble, someone he could marry. Not his gangly, clumsy, poor warlock of a manservant.

* * *

><p>Merlin sent word with one of the guards that he was feeling ill and would not be able to serve the king for the rest of the day. He hated himself for doing so, for shutting himself away rather than facing his problems like a man. But he couldn't compose himself yet. He needed some more time before he would be able to be near Arthur again, let alone look him in the eye knowing how he felt.<p>

He always knew that Arthur would never love him the way Merlin did his king. But the definiteness that came along with Arthur's words this morning _I don't want to feel this way_, made him feel like Arthur had just run a sword through his belly_._ He didn't want to feel for Merlin. Merlin, who was not only a servant, a warlock, and a man, but not even a desirable one. One that Arthur might, if he were so inclined, want. Merlin knew there was nothing particularly appealing about him. He was not fit like the knights. He was clumsy, his ears were too big and his cheeks too hollow. No man or woman would ever want him.

A few hours after darkness fell, he heard a knock on his door.

"Come in, Gaius," he called.

The door opened, but it was not Gaius who stood there. It was Gwen.

"I can't believe you're doing this, Merlin," she said, observing his prone form on the bed.

"Doing what?" he asked as she closed the door behind her and came to sat on the foot of the bed as he sat up against the headboard.

"Hiding away from Arthur. I've never known you to hide from anything."

"It's different this time," Merlin said solemnly.

"How so? Arthur told me about the past few days."

Rage flared in Merlin. "I suppose he's bragging to the entire castle about how even his manservant is in love with him," he said spitefully.

"Actually, he's employing similar tactics as you. He didn't come to the great hall for dinner tonight so I went to make sure he had something to eat. He was sitting in his chair, staring out the window like a statue. It took me a good long time to pry the truth out of him."

"And what have you concluded?"

"That you're both complete idiots. But I already knew that."

Merlin glared at her. "I'm in love with him, Gwen," he said, stony-faced. "I have been for years. But he wants nothing to do with me."

"I think his exact words were that he didn't want to feel the way he does, and I'm sure you can understand that as well."

"How?" Merlin snapped.

"When people fall in the kind of intense, strong love that you and Arthur have, have had for years, it can be scary. I remember how terrified I was at loving Lance, because I didn't know if I'd ever be able to be with him, and having such a large part of my heart devoted to someone who I may never see again scared me half to death. At first, I didn't want it. I wished I could love someone else, another craftsman's son . . . you even. It would have been so much easier. But now, I wouldn't trade that love for anything in the world. Even if I could never see him again, I wouldn't change anything I felt for him.

"Arthur spoke without thinking. We all do it. But you have to admit, Merlin, for him to love anyone besides a noble, not to mention a woman is going to present serious issues for him because of who he is. It would be easier if he didn't love you, but he does, and I don't think Arthur would give up any part of the bond you have for anything."

Merlin pulled his knees up to his chest as she finished her speech and rested his chin on them. "Do you really think he loves me?"

Gwen smiled. "I think anyone would have to be an idiot if they thought he didn't. Arthur doesn't trust anyone else the way he does you. Possibly not even himself."

"I think he lost some of that trust when he found out I was a warlock."

"Obviously not or he would have fired you. Arthur doesn't think the way his father did. I know that he understands why you did it."

"But there's a part of Arthur, no matter how small, that was shaped by his father for twenty years, that sees magic as evil. Do you think he can really still love me the same way knowing that I am something he was raised to despise?"

"There's only one way to find out."

**A/N: Reviews are much appreciated. **


	10. Chapter 10

Merlin paced back and forth across the end of the hall outside Arthur's chambers for a quarter of an hour before he finally had the courage to march down there and knock on his master's door.

He heard Arthur's command to enter through the thick wood and slowly opened the door.

Arthur stood in the middle of the room, shirtless with a sword in his hand. He had obviously been practicing maneuvers before Merlin had knocked, something the warlock knew he did when he was nervous or frustrated.

There was a tense silence between the pair before Arthur finally spoke. "I take it you're feeling better."

"Yes, sire. And yourself? Gwen told me you didn't come down the dinner."

Arthur nodded.

They stood, staring at each other in stony silence for some more time before Arthur finally said, "Look, Merlin, about what I said this morning. I didn't mean it like that. It's just—"

"I know," Merlin said, cutting him off. "I understand. I know it's hard for you given your position, and I always knew it could never actually happen, but I suppose hearing it just made it seem real."

"Who says it can never happen, Merlin?" Arthur asked, laying his sword on the table and taking a step towards his manservant.

"The laws and conventions of Camelot. Arthur, I am the exact opposite of everything a king looks for in his partner."

"Then isn't it time for a change?" the king asked before closing the distance between them and fusing their lips together.

Merlin let out a small whimper as Arthur kissed him with everything he had, gently prying Merlin's pliant lips open with his tongue and reveling in the sweet honey taste of his mouth.

Merlin wove his fingers through the king's golden locks, pressing himself as close as possible to Arthur, trying to commit this feeling to memory in case it never happened again.

Suddenly, Arthur's arms swept Merlin off his feet and carried him to the four poster bed, laying him gently on top of the covers before climbing on himself. There he resumed kissing his manservant, eventually relieving him of his jacket, shirt and neckerchief so as to gain access to the creamy white skin and surprisingly well-defined muscles that they hid.

After what seemed like hours, they were both breathless, their lips swollen from kissing, and Arthur rolled over onto his back, pulling Merlin with him so his head rested on the king's chest.

"How long?" the king asked, bringing his hand up to stroke Merlin's shoulder as he stared up at the canopy of his bed.

"It seems like forever," Merlin said, his brow furrowing. "But I think I first really knew when I was poisoned, and you risked certain death to get me the cure. The fact that you would do something like that for me, for a servant. In combination with everything else . . . your bravery, your concern for your people . . . that was when I first knew that I loved you."

Arthur smiled. "For me it was the first time we met. When you stood up to me in the market and then afterwards when you fought me."

"I always had a feeling you were slightly masochistic."

"Shut it, Merlin," Arthur said, playfully hitting Merlin on the shoulder before resuming his stroking. "I just always appreciated your honesty. I knew you never lied to me."

Merlin smiled, burying his face in Arthur's chest. They stayed like that for a long time before Merlin picked his head up to look at his king.

"Arthur?" he said cautiously, as Arthur's eyes were closed, a serene, almost blissful look on his features.

"Mmm?"

"If you really did feel this way about me for all these years, why did you always torment me. I know you had me do some tasks that are mostly left to other servants."

Arthur sighed, opening his eyes. "When I realized how I felt for you and I knew I couldn't actually have you, I think I subconsciously wanted to drive you away, hoping you would leave so I would never give into temptation. But you see how that worked out."

"I'm glad you gave in," Merlin murmured.

Arthur smiled and kissed the top of his raven head before reaching a hand around to cup Merlin's cheek and turn his face towards him.

"You are so beautiful," he whispered, stroking his thumb over the warlock's high cheekbone, admiring the soft, creamy skin and the gorgeous blue orbs that gazed up at him. Merlin glanced away, his cheeks flushing a highly endearing pink.

"You're just saying that," he whispered.

"Merlin," Arthur said pointedly, "have I ever said anything I didn't mean?"

Merlin lifted his eyes to his king, and Arthur watched his carnation pink lips turn up in a small smile before turning his head into the hand Arthur was still using to cup his face and kissed his palm.

* * *

><p>They fell asleep in each other's arms that night and Arthur awoke the next morning to the best sight he could possibly imagine: Merlin, asleep on the bed next to him, his head resting on Arthur's chest, an arm draped around the king's middle and one leg curling around Arthur's own.<p>

Arthur took the opportunity to admire Merlin's features, which were serene and relaxed as cuddled into his king.

Arthur watched his warlock for a few more minutes as the sun rose through the window outside and Merlin began to stir.

As soon as he figured out where he was, he shot up, away from Arthur, a terrified look on his face. "My lord, I—"

"Calm down, Merlin," Arthur said. "Do you remember what happened last night?"

"I thought I dreamed it," Merlin said sheepishly.

Arthur laughed, reaching for his manservant and pulling him back down on top of him. "Well then why don't you keep dreaming a little longer?"

Merlin smiled as he resumed his previous position.

**A/N: I know it's short but the next chapter will get on with the story a little more. **


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Hopefully this chapter is a little more satisfying than the last.**

**WARNING: IT IS BECAUSE OF CHAPTERS LIKE THIS ONE THAT I RATED THIS STORY MATURE. DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE UNDERAGE OR OFFENDED BY HOMOSEXUAL RELATIONS.**

"You know, Merlin, I've been thinking—" Arthur started.

"Well, that's never a good sign."

"Forget it then."

Merlin turned from where he had been making the king's bed and stepped towards Arthur with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry." He wrapped his arms around Arthur's waist and kissed the sweet spot just below his master's ear. "What were you thinking about . . . sir?"

He tagged the "sir" on because he knew that even though Arthur usually preferred being called by his given name most of the time, he had discovered that it aroused the king to no end when Merlin called him "sir" or "my lord" in a low, sultry voice.

As Merlin had expected, Arthur stiffened a little.

"I was just thinking—" Arthur tried as Merlin placed soft kisses up and down his throat. "I thought that—" Merlin nipped at his earlobe. "Dammit, Merlin!" Arthur put his hands on his manservant's shoulders and pushed him away so he could no longer distract him. "I want to make you my advisor."

Merlin looked wary and stepped back out of Arthur's grip. "Arthur, you know you can't just go giving away advisory positions to people you're . . . involved with."

"What are you talking about?" said Arthur, looking mildly insulted. "I would never do that. This is something I've been thinking about for months now. I've even talked to Gaius and some of the knights about it."

"And what have they said?" Merlin asked, looking nervous.

"They all seem to think it's a fabulous idea," Arthur said. "In fact, it almost seemed they thought you would make a better ruler," he said a bit grudgingly.

"Well . . ." Merlin started, and dodged Arthur's hand as he went to slap him. "No, I'm sure they don't think that," Merlin said. "Everyone knows you are the true ruler of Camelot, and the best it's ever known."

Arthur looked unconvinced, and Merlin drew close once again. "Why don't I show you, my lord?" he whispered against the shell of Arthur's ear as his hand travelled to the semi-erection quickly developing in the king's pants.

Arthur let out another breathy moan and his head tipped back, allowing Merlin full access to the golden skin of his neck.

"Does that mean you'll do it then?" he asked.

"I'll have to think about it."

Arthur's hand came down to grip Merlin's wrist, stopping the movements against the front of his own trousers.

"What's to think about? I'm offering you a massive promotion."

"Well, _I_ have to think about it," Merlin stated with conviction. "Now," he said, breaking the king's grasp on him and resuming his previous actions, "you seem to have a problem that needs attending to. And since I'm still your servant, I suppose it is my responsibility to attend to it, isn't it, sire?" Merlin whispered as he slipped his hand down the front of his master's trousers.

Though it had been a week since Merlin and Arthur had professed their love, their physical intimacy had been restricted to heavy makeout sessions, which left them both hard and frustrated. Arthur seemed to be treading cautiously as though he didn't want to scare Merlin off. Merlin, however, was sick of it, and was ready to take matters into his own hands. Literally.

He grasped the shaft of Arthur's rock-hard manhood and made long, determined strokes up and down it, loving the way it felt in his hand. It was distinctly different from his own; Arthur certainly had more girth, though from what he could feel, Merlin was longer. Arthur groaned contentedly as Merlin thumbed the head, spreading the leaking precum down his shaft for lubricant.

"Merlin, you don't—" Arthur started. He didn't want to pressure Merlin into anything, fairly certain that his manservant had had significantly less experience than himself.

"Shut up, Arthur. I've been wanting to do this for years."

Arthur's legs could no longer support his weight, they were shaking so much, and he sank down on the table behind him, his hands reaching back to support his weight as his head tipped back in pleasure. "You have?" he gasped as Merlin started using his other hand to unbutton the king's trousers to allow him better access.

"Of course," Merlin said, freeing the king's cock and stepping between Arthur's spread legs to once again attack his neck with kisses. "So many times while I was serving you at feasts and I would lean over to pour you more wine, I thought about how easy it would be to reach down and palm you through your trousers. I sometimes even fantasized about disappearing under the table, hidden by those long tablecloths from the rest of the people, and sucking you off in front of everyone."

Those words in combination with the attack on his throat and the increased speed of Merlin's stroking, caused Arthur to let out a strangled cry, coming hard and fast all over Merlin's hand and his shirt.

Merlin smiled triumphantly, leaning back to look at Arthur's face, still caught in that raptured bliss.

Arthur looked up at his big-eared, goofy servant only to see a regal-looking man gazing down at him. His cheekbones were more pronounced in the rising sunlight, his hair raven-black, his skin almost glowing, and his sapphire eyes glinting with mirth. Arthur saw the man that people described to be the most powerful wizard ever to have lived. The man that could make entire armies crumble with a flick of his hand. The man that made Arthur collapse internally with just a look.

Arthur reached up and fastened his hand in Merlin's hair, bringing their lips together and kissing him with so much intensity that it was now Merlin's turn to feel weak at the knees. He lifted his clean hand up to Arthur's face to stroke his jaw as they kissed, breaking apart only when they heard a knock on the door.

The sound startled them apart and Merlin thanked god that he had locked it before finally removing his hand from Arthur's manhood. He muttered a cleaning spell for his hand and Arthur's shirt before going to open the door, giving the king a few seconds to do up his trousers.

Merlin opened the door to see a guard waiting outside. He stepped back to let him in, and the man moved into the room, addressing Arthur.

"Your majesty. There is someone here to see you."

**A/N: Reviews are appreciated. **


	12. Chapter 12

Arthur and Merlin entered the throne room to see the knights waiting for them and

"Tristan?"

"My Lord."

"No need for that, Tristan, you are among friends. Where's Isodole?"

Pain flashed across Tristan's face. "That's what I came to see you about. She's gone."

"Gone where?"

"Bandits. We had gone North to Lester buy a new kind of seed. We were camping half a day's journey from the border to Camelot when they struck. There were too many, they caught us by surprise and we couldn't fight them off. They took Isodole and our horses."

Arthur's jaw set as did most of the other's in the room. If they had just taken Isodole, that meant that they weren't after slaves in general, but a specific kind of slave. Arthur had heard of this happening, and had done everything in his power to prevent it and punish it to his fullest extent within his borders, but he couldn't stop what happened in other kingdoms as much as he despised it. But if it were true that they had been outside Camelot when it had happened, it would mean that any official move by Camelot to help Isodole would be considered an act of war.

However, without Tristan and Isodole's help there would be no Camelot, at least not one ruled by Arthur. Lester was surrounded on the East and South by Camelot, to the West by Caerleon, ruled by Queen Annis, and to the North by Nemeth, where Mithian and her father resided.

"I promise that we will get her back," Arthur said to Tristan, putting a hand on his shoulder in consolation. "But what you're proposing is an act of war, we must be cautious."

"I have no time for caution," Tristan spat angrily. "Not while Isodole is with those creatures."

"I understand, but this is not something we can do alone. I must consult some others. We both know that Isodole is a fighter. She will be okay."

Tristan continued to frown, evidently not convinced by the king's words.

"Look, you're tired, and hungry I'm sure. If you follow Gwen into the great hall, she will make sure you get a good meal, and we will have a room prepared for you as well. I give you my word, Tristan, we will get her back."

"What are you thinking, sire?" Leon asked after Tristan had left with Gwen.

"We need to send riders to Caerleon and Nemeth, we'll need their help invading Lester."

"I'm sorry, you want to invade Lester?" Lancelot asked.

"King Gahereth has been creating a hostile environment for his people for the past quarter of a century. Women aren't allowed to leave, and the ones there are systematically abused. He lets anyone do anything as long as they keep him in gold and women."

"And you want Caerleon and Nemeth's help?"

"We can't go in alone, it's a tactical risk and sets the precedent that we're not afraid to invade anyone without cause," Arthur said.

"I think stopping what Gahereth's doing is a just enough cause," Gwaine said.

"Yes, but he hasn't directly offended us. Going in with two other kingdoms, however, would make it legitimate."

"What do you think will motivate Annis and Rodor to help us?"

"Besides dethroning an evil man and stopping any more people from being taken from their borders, we will divide Gahereth's land three ways, assuming we succeed. Despite the slave trade, Lester does have fertile growing ground and many other resources."

"What about Odin?" Percival asked.

"Lester shares no border with Odin's kingdom, this is no concern of his."

"If that is your decision, my lord, I will send riders to Caerleon and Nemeth at once," Leon said.

"Sire," Merlin interjected as Leon made to leave.

Arthur turned to the warlock.

"Given that this is a time-sensitive matter, I may have a faster way of reaching the other kingdoms. But I will need two letters from you explaining what you want, one for each kingdom."

"Very well, Merlin. My seal is in my chambers, let us go there and I will draw up the papers."

* * *

><p>After Arthur had drafted two letters, on each to Queen Annis and King Rodor, Merlin took them and went to the window. Placing the letters on the sill, he opened the glass, and made a strange sound like a bird call. No sooner had he stepped away from the window, two falcons had swept in and landed on the sill.<p>

"What are they?" Arthur asked, not recognizing this specific species.

"They're Merlin birds," the warlock said with a small smile, as he took a length of leather cord and tied a letter and an additional piece of parchment to each bird's leg. "My mother's favorite, she named me after them. They're faster than riders, so they should get to Caerleon and Nemeth before nightfall. I've also included instructions on how to send them back. It will considerably speed up the process."

Then Merlin picked them each up one at a time and tossed them out of the window. They took flight immediately, off into the midday sun.

"You really are clever sometimes, aren't you, Merlin?"

Merlin blushed, his head bowed. "No, sire, I just—" But Merlin didn't get to finish his sentence as suddenly Arthur's lips were on his, his hands on his hips, pulling him closer.

Merlin suddenly found his own fingers weaving through the king's hair.

"I can't tell you how glad I am to have you," Arthur muttered against his manservant's lips.

Merlin smiled into the kiss, pressing himself as close as possible to his master's body. "Why don't you show me, sire?"

Arthur smirked walking Merlin back towards his chair at the table, shoving him down on it and dropping to his knees between his legs.

Merlin's mouth dropped open in shock as Arthur undid his trousers and pulled out his already hard and weeping cock. The king gave his manhood a few tugs before enveloping the entire length in his hot mouth.

Merlin's head dropped back and thunked against the wood of Arthur's chair as his master began to suck eagerly. The warlock's hands automatically went to the king's golden hair, pulling at the strands and stroking his cheek as he watched his cock reappear and disappear back into Arthur's mouth.

"Arthur," Merlin gasped as the king took a break from his shaft to lap at his balls. "Arthur, Christ, so good. Don't you dare stop."

Arthur lifted his head from Merlin's lap with a raised eyebrow. "Are you sure you want to be giving me orders now?" Arthur asked.

Merlin whimpered. "Please, Arthur. So, good, please keep going."

Arthur grinned and continued his ministrations until Merlin was writhing and begging.

"Yes, Arthur, going to come, so if . . ." He meant to warn him to move if he didn't want a mouthful of come.

Arthur didn't move and soon Merlin was shooting down the king's throat. Arthur raised his eyes to his manservant's face as it contorted in bliss, his head thrown back, neck arched in pleasure.

_So fucking beautiful,_ Arthur thought. How was it that he was lucky enough to be given something as wonderful as Merlin? He internally swore at that moment that he would spend every day for the rest of his life trying be worthy of this man and every night attempting to show him how much he loved him.


End file.
